1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a garment box, suitable for shipping, with a novel hanger apparatus for supporting hangers which carry apparel or clothing within the garment box.
2. Description of the Art
It has heretofore not been possible to form a garment box, suitable for shipping, with a hanger apparatus for holding and securing hangers within the garment box which is constructed from two flaps extending from opposing walls of the garment box. The two flaps are both integral with the garment box and extend from opposing walls of the garment box. One flap forms a hanger bar for holding the hangers. The other flap from the opposing wall extends over the hanger bar to secure the hangers within the garment box. Prior art garment boxes have been unsuitable for shipping clothes on hangers, especially when the boxes are shipped by airplane. Clothes are wrinkled because the hanger bars used to hold hangers do not adequately hold or secure the hangers carrying the clothes within the garment box. In addition, many prior art boxes are rectangular in shape and frequently jam airline luggage conveyor systems when the conveyor turns a corner. Also, if a portion of the conveyor system ascends or descends and then abruptly flattens to a horizontal level, the rectangular shape of many prior art boxes jams the conveyor system. Moreover, many prior art boxes have hangers extending outside of the box which often tear the conveyor belt as the boxes move along the airline luggage conveyor system.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,883,942, patented Apr. 21, 1959, describes a garment box for shipping. The garment box is trapezoidal in shape. A flap extending from a wall of the garment box includes a plurality of slots and apertures for holding the hanger hooks within the box. However, the hangers are not easily accessible and are not securely held in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,197, issued Oct. 10, 1978, describes a garment box for shipping. The garment box includes a separate apparel hanger receiving element which is removable and engages a top wall of the outer rectangular shipping box. The hanger receiving element retains the hook portion of hangers without locking or holding the hangers in position within the box. Due to the configuration of the apparel hanger receiving element, hangers may slip off the element, thereby enabling the clothes placed on the hangers to become wrinkled and crumpled.
U.S. Pat No. 4,318,472, issued Mar. 9, 1982, describes a rectangular garment box formed from a unitary sheet of scored paperboard. The paperboard is folded along fold lines to form a pair of connected rectangular tray sections. The first tray section has a slotted end wall which receives the hanger hooks of hangers placed within the garment box. The other tray section has an end wall which cooperates with the slotted end wall of the first tray section. The cooperating end wall has an aperture which locks the hooks of hangers placed in the slot of the first tray section outside garment box. Clearly, the hangers are not held in position within the garment box.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,389, issued Aug. 3, 1982, describes a rectangular garment box. The garment box includes a hanger bar formed from flaps extending from the ends of side walls of the container body. The flaps are retained in position between an end wall of the container body and an inner locking wall. Although the hanger bar is contained within the box, the hangers on the hanger bar are not held in position and can slip off the hanger bar when the box is being transported.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a garment box with a hanger apparatus constructed from flaps extending from the walls of the garment box which can hold the hangers securely in position within the box.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sturdy, durable box for shipping garments.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a garment box which is suitable for shipment by airplane and through airports.
A further object of this invention is to provide a garment box with flaps securely closed.
A still further object of this present invention is to provide a garment box which can be easily handled.